Air Fryer Falafel (Frozen + Homemade)

Air Fryer falafel is an easy and crispy vegan and gluten-free appetizer. This is a quick, healthy snack. I have shared instructions on how to make them from scratch and air frying instructions for frozen falafel.

What is Falafel?

Falafel is a traditional Middle Eastern dish made from chickpeas or fava beans. The mixture is then deep-fried and served as patties or balls, usually wrapped in pita bread with lettuce, tomatoes, and tahini sauce.

Falafel is gluten-free and high in protein and fiber. This is authentically a street food in Middle Eastern countries where falafel is used as a vegetarian alternative to meatballs. If you love falafel, check out my falafel salad and falafel wrap for inspiration.

However, they are easy to bake in the oven, too. But here we will make falafel in an air fryer. This recipe does not involve deep frying the falafel and does not take long to oven-baked. Instead, we will coat them in oil spray before cooking them for a less greasy but still the same crispy result.

Why are these air fryer Falafel so good?

- healthier as compared to the counterpart cooking method of deep-frying

- perfectly crispy and crunchy outside with a soft, moist inside

- less time to cook, unlike longer baking times

- delicious, great vegan appetizer

- plant-based and protein-rich snack

Ingredients you will need -

Garbanzo beans or chickpeas: Raw. Soak them for 8 - 10 hours. Don't use canned chickpeas; otherwise, they will not bind properly.

Garlic & Onion - these add so much flavor to the falafel

Cilantro leaves - they add color and flavor to the falafel. You can also add parsley leaves or a mix of both.

Green Chilies - Decide your quantity depending on how spicy you need them to be. You can also skip if you don't like a kick of heat.

Spices - cumin powder, paprika, coriander powder, salt, and black pepper

How to make falafel in the air fryer?

Soak the chickpeas

Soak the chickpeas overnight or for 8 hrs minimum. This is best made from dry chickpeas and not with cooked or canned chickpeas. Canned chickpeas will be difficult to bind and may fall apart while cooking.

Prepare Falafel Mixture

Then, in a food processor or mixer, blend it roughly to a coarse mixture with other ingredients like onion, cilantro, and spices. Don't add water during this process.

Refrigerate the mixture for 1 hour and let it rest for some time. You can also keep them in an airtight box in the refrigerator for 4 - 5 days. This is also freezer-friendly. After shaping the falafel, you can freeze it for future use.

Shape the falafel -

The next step is to divide the mixture into equal portions. Grease palms and shape the mixture into balls or discs from this mixture. Preferably make smaller discs. You can also use a scoop to take out the mixture.

Air Fry the Falafel -

Preheat the air fryer to 390 F or 200 C. Then spray oil to grease the basket. Place the shaped falafel in the air fryer basket in a single layer. Don't overlap them with each other. Now spray some oil on the falafel.

Start the air fryer at 375 F or 190 C for 15 - 16 minutes. Remove and flip the falafel carefully with the help of a tong or spoon after 7 minutes. Check if the fritters look crispy and golden brown, then they are done.

Air Fryer Frozen Falafel

No preparation is needed for frozen falafel. There is no need to thaw the falafel. Preheat the air fryer to 400 F for 4 minutes. Then, pour the packet of falafel into the basket. Cook for 10 - 12 minutes, depending on the doneness you want. Shake once halfway through at 4 minutes. Again, since the air fryer cooks differently, the timing may vary by 1 - 2 minutes.

Tips for the best falafel

Always use dry chickpeas. Soak the raw garbanzo beans for 10 - 12 hours at minimum or overnight. Then, strain out the beans and blend them to a paste, adding other ingredients. Set the paste aside for 30 - 40 minutes in the refrigerator to set.

The drier the paste, the easier it will be to make balls and fry them. Otherwise, the falafel will fall apart no matter how you cook it.

If you use canned chickpeas, you must add roasted chickpea flour to the falafel, which may not give the same result as using only chickpeas.

If your mixture is wetter, add chickpea flour until you get the desired consistency. You can scoop out the mixture, but while shaping, grease your palm with oil to shape better. You can also use a cookie cutter to make shapes.

You can experiment with herbs and spices. For example, add flavors like beetroot, carrots, spinach greens, and pumpkin to the falafel. Check out my tri-color sesame falafel recipe.

How To Serve Falafel?

As an appetizer: This is one of the best naturally vegan and gluten-free appetizers. This is served best with tzatziki (vegan) or tahini dip. Sometimes, zhoug (the spicy cilantro dip) also replaces the tahini sauce.

Serve with pita bread: Authentically, these are served with pita bread and tahini. You can also use this as a stuffing for your burrito. Check out my falafel wrap.

Serve as a falafel sandwich: Place them on slices of bread with creamy tahini or hummus spread and coleslaw.

Make as a burger patty: Make a larger-sized patty and bake it in the air fryer. Place it between the burger patty and serve it as a whole breakfast.

Serve them with this lemon herb tahini or avocado cilantro lime dressing. Or with any of your favorite dips.

Recipe Card for Air Fryer Falafel

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